Bradley Associate Athletic Director Bobby Parker offers his take on Bradley Athletics and the sporting world in general in his "Blogging with BP" feature on BradleyBraves.com.

Today's blog entry is delinquent and also links to a couple of delinquent posts from Ka'Darryl and Mason in Blogging with the Braves. I have offered enough complaints about the internet service in the Bahamas and the issues contributed to an inability to connect with the guys. They did get me their posts late in the trip, but to be quite honest, I was fried by that time and spent the last couple of days back home decompressing from the trip.

So, with my apologies, here are the links to Ka'Darryl Bell's and Mason Alwan's final two posts in Blogging with the Braves from the Bahamas.

Blogging with the Braves
Ka'Darryl Bell's second entry
Mason Alwan's third entry

I have written plenty about Bradley's play in the Bahamas in previous posts and I think everyone probably got a feel for the trip. Our play improved throughout the trip as the team got their legs under them. Most importantly, the coaches got the opportunity to evaluate their roster against outside competition, utilizing a number of different lineups and game settings. With seven newcomers available for action, the coaching staff has gotten a tremendous jump on the 2013-14 season and the Braves enjoyed a great bonding experience in paradise. We are all so very thankful for the opportunity to experience a trip like this and for such a devoted fan base that makes these types of experiences possible.

Now that I am back, it is time to turn my attention to soccer. The Braves hosted their annual Media Day Monday afternoon at the Guardian Angel practice facility in West Peoria. A few shots from today's activities are linked to this post. There was not a lot of news to report from today's event, though some preseason prognostications have begun to surface and College Sports Madness earlier today listed a quintet of Braves among the preseason Missouri Valley Conference Awards.

I think we all agree that Jim DeRose is a great coach and we are blessed to have had him leading our soccer program for the last 17 years, but I do find it comical that he has been named CSM's preseason MVC Coach of the Year. Not that he is not deserving a such an accolade, but I can't recall ever seeing a preseason Coach-of-the-Year award. Talk about pressure.

The fact that four players - Brian Billings, Jason Lesch, Ross Williams and Wojciech Wojcik - all were named to CSM's preseason all-conference second team is pretty symbolic of this team. Following the graduation of first-team performers Jochen Graf and Tapiwa Machingauta, there is not a one player I can highlight for his statistical accomplishments and argue first-team all-league status. However, I view this team as one of the more deeply-talented teams we have fielded in quite some time, and I even overheard Coach DeRose touch on that element during one of his interviews today.

The Braves return 18 lettermen and many have logged significant minutes throughout their careers. They have played for conference championships, defeated nationally-ranked teams and played key roles in two NCAA Tournament appearances. With the influx of talented newcomers, including Alon Badat, Aaron Birk and Christian Okeke, I am optimistic the 2013 Braves will once again challenge for a Valley title and compete for a third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years. As much success as the Braves have enjoyed under Jim DeRose, they have not played in three NCAA Tournaments in a four-year span and becoming the first class to pull off the trifecta would be a great legacy for the 2013 senior class.

Bradley Soccer will play one exhibition Saturday night at Kansas City, then will open the 2013 campaign next Friday, Aug. 30, during the first day of The Hotels at Grand Prairie Classic at Shea Stadium. There are some great promotions planned for the home slate and I will be sending out that news release tomorrow. In the meantime, you can find season-ticket information here.

Here's to the start of a great 2013-14 season on The Hilltop.

Until next time ...

Blogging with BP
Aug. 15, 2013:  Random thoughts from the Bahamas
Aug. 14, 2013:  A true Hall of Famer
Aug. 12, 2013:  Perspective Check Monday
Aug. 11, 2013:  Travel recap
Aug. 9, 2013:  Live Stats for the Summer of Thunder Classic
Aug. 8, 2013:  Bradley Athletics Provides Family-Friendly Entertainment Options
Aug. 7, 2013:  Recapping the Bahamas Preview Luncheon and Scrimmage
Aug. 6, 2013:  Check out the Bradley Team Store
Aug. 5, 2013:  Introduction and Bahamas Preview

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